On Friday 24th December, the city of Bethlehem celebrated the birth of Christ, which took place within its walls a little more than 2,000 years ago, for 24 hours non-stop.
If on every day of the year, the mystery of Christmas is offered to the contemplation of pilgrims, on Christmas Day the city gives the world the joy of the birth to contemplate. All the cameras of the world’s televisions are trained on the city as it parades before them
This year, 23 groups of scouts went through Bethlehem in a very long and joyful procession. From 9 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., they prepared the way for the Patriarch who, after leaving Jerusalem in the late morning, after a stop at Mar Elias and another one at Rachel’s Tomb, entered the city, closing a motorcade of about 140 cars. The fine weather, or the joy of seeing so many people and familiar faces along the way, encouraged the drivers to take all their time because, although they had left on time and kept to schedule to Rachel’s Tomb, the Patriarch’s car was very late in reaching Manger Square.
The folklore that was unfurled in the morning in the city then gave way to the stream of prayers in the church of St. Catherine and in the grotto to be able to keep to the timetable imposed by the Status Quo. Then there was the solemn entrance, with Friar Stéphane Milovich welcoming His Beatitude Fuad Twal in front of the Door of Humility, to vespers in St. Catherine and vespers in the procession to the grotto, without any idle time.
It was not until 5.00 p.m. that the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land – a great number of whom were present to offer their welcome to the parish church in their care, and to the grotto, of which they are Guardians with the Greek Orthodox and the Armenians – were able to joy a moment of rest. Whilst the sacristans were busy with the last minute preparations, other friars left, giving up their place to the 1900 pilgrims who had been able to obtain a ticket.
As tradition has it, before the Mass, there was a dinner with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmud Abbas, Abu Mazen and his entourage. The dinner was presided by the Custody of the Holy Land with the Patriarch at his side.
This year, the large number of pilgrims who have visited the city of the Nativity has contributed to a visible improvement in its economy which, without forgetting the security fence and its negative consequences on the population and on employment, has given the city a new lease of life with the joy of Christmas.
However, this joy was mitigated by two events: the fire on Mount Carmel that cost the life of the brother of the Israeli colonel in charge of the district of Bethlehem and to whom all the authorities, curates and the mayors of Beit Sahur and Beit Jala, presented their condolences; and during the day the news of the fatal accident for three of the five Franciscan nuns who were coming to Bethlehem from the Mount of Beatitudes.
The accident of the Franciscan nuns has deeply affected the Custody, which has very close and fraternal bonds with the different communities in the country. The Franciscans therefore included in the universal prayer of the faithful an invocation to the Lord for the nuns who died and for the casualties as well as for the whole congregation.
It was a Mass of prayer, officiated by Monsignor Fouad Twal, surrounded by the President Mahmud Abbas and his entourage, together with the Consuls General of the four “Latin Nations”, Italy, France, Spain and Belgium, and by a crowd mostly made up of pilgrims, religious living in the country and some local Christians.
The local Christians gladly give up their places to pilgrims and prefer to celebrate the joy of Christmas at midnight on the dot, in their language together with their parish and in the Grotto itself.
His Beatitude delivered his homily in Arabic, preceded by words of welcome and Christmas greetings in four languages, for this Mass broadcast all over the world. Numerous local Christians, both Latins and others, followed the celebration on TV. They then listened to the message of His Beatitude, who invoked respect for life, attention for the children and keeping watch over the family spirit.
He then recalled this important time for all the Christians in the Middle East and the Synod of the Bishops, invoking Christian unity and the intensification of dialogue with our Jewish and Muslim brothers : “we have to be united around our common values, which are many, such as prayer, piety, fasting, charity and above all ethical values.” The Patriarch concluded his homily with an appeal for peace: “Our wish for this festivity is that the sound of the bells of our churches can cover the noise of weapons in this wounded Middle East of ours. That joy can be seen on all faces and that cheerfulness can penetrate all hearts! We pray for peace: we hope that it can descend on the people of Israel as well as on the people of Palestine and on the whole of the Middle East, so that our children can live and grow up in a serene world.”
As tradition has it, the Palestinian delegation left after the exchange of the sign of peace and the Mass continued, ending only with the procession of the priests to the Grotto.
However, the Christmas festivities are not over here. For the whole night and throughout Christmas Day until 4.30 p.m., there was one Mass after the other in the Basilica of the Nativity. To ensure this service, the Franciscan sacristans were organized into teams for the day and the night, reinforced by the students of St. Saviour. About forty Masses will be held in the grottos and in the chapels of St. Catherine in 24 hours, without counting all those celebrated in the Shepherds’ Field.
The day Mass of the parish was celebrated completely in Arabic and presided by the new Patriarch. Brother Marwan Di’des thanked him for his presence and, like a real father, for having been able to bring his children from all over the country, from north and south, including Gaza.
The Christmas carols continue to echo around the Basilica of the Nativity but the journalists have already left the square. But in Bethlehem, Christmas will not be over until all the Christian confessions have celebrated their Nativity and this will be on 19th January, with our Armenian brothers.
On this symbolic date of 25th December, the Custody wishes a Happy Christmas to all.
Mab
If on every day of the year, the mystery of Christmas is offered to the contemplation of pilgrims, on Christmas Day the city gives the world the joy of the birth to contemplate. All the cameras of the world’s televisions are trained on the city as it parades before them
This year, 23 groups of scouts went through Bethlehem in a very long and joyful procession. From 9 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., they prepared the way for the Patriarch who, after leaving Jerusalem in the late morning, after a stop at Mar Elias and another one at Rachel’s Tomb, entered the city, closing a motorcade of about 140 cars. The fine weather, or the joy of seeing so many people and familiar faces along the way, encouraged the drivers to take all their time because, although they had left on time and kept to schedule to Rachel’s Tomb, the Patriarch’s car was very late in reaching Manger Square.
The folklore that was unfurled in the morning in the city then gave way to the stream of prayers in the church of St. Catherine and in the grotto to be able to keep to the timetable imposed by the Status Quo. Then there was the solemn entrance, with Friar Stéphane Milovich welcoming His Beatitude Fuad Twal in front of the Door of Humility, to vespers in St. Catherine and vespers in the procession to the grotto, without any idle time.
It was not until 5.00 p.m. that the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land – a great number of whom were present to offer their welcome to the parish church in their care, and to the grotto, of which they are Guardians with the Greek Orthodox and the Armenians – were able to joy a moment of rest. Whilst the sacristans were busy with the last minute preparations, other friars left, giving up their place to the 1900 pilgrims who had been able to obtain a ticket.
As tradition has it, before the Mass, there was a dinner with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmud Abbas, Abu Mazen and his entourage. The dinner was presided by the Custody of the Holy Land with the Patriarch at his side.
This year, the large number of pilgrims who have visited the city of the Nativity has contributed to a visible improvement in its economy which, without forgetting the security fence and its negative consequences on the population and on employment, has given the city a new lease of life with the joy of Christmas.
However, this joy was mitigated by two events: the fire on Mount Carmel that cost the life of the brother of the Israeli colonel in charge of the district of Bethlehem and to whom all the authorities, curates and the mayors of Beit Sahur and Beit Jala, presented their condolences; and during the day the news of the fatal accident for three of the five Franciscan nuns who were coming to Bethlehem from the Mount of Beatitudes.
The accident of the Franciscan nuns has deeply affected the Custody, which has very close and fraternal bonds with the different communities in the country. The Franciscans therefore included in the universal prayer of the faithful an invocation to the Lord for the nuns who died and for the casualties as well as for the whole congregation.
It was a Mass of prayer, officiated by Monsignor Fouad Twal, surrounded by the President Mahmud Abbas and his entourage, together with the Consuls General of the four “Latin Nations”, Italy, France, Spain and Belgium, and by a crowd mostly made up of pilgrims, religious living in the country and some local Christians.
The local Christians gladly give up their places to pilgrims and prefer to celebrate the joy of Christmas at midnight on the dot, in their language together with their parish and in the Grotto itself.
His Beatitude delivered his homily in Arabic, preceded by words of welcome and Christmas greetings in four languages, for this Mass broadcast all over the world. Numerous local Christians, both Latins and others, followed the celebration on TV. They then listened to the message of His Beatitude, who invoked respect for life, attention for the children and keeping watch over the family spirit.
He then recalled this important time for all the Christians in the Middle East and the Synod of the Bishops, invoking Christian unity and the intensification of dialogue with our Jewish and Muslim brothers : “we have to be united around our common values, which are many, such as prayer, piety, fasting, charity and above all ethical values.” The Patriarch concluded his homily with an appeal for peace: “Our wish for this festivity is that the sound of the bells of our churches can cover the noise of weapons in this wounded Middle East of ours. That joy can be seen on all faces and that cheerfulness can penetrate all hearts! We pray for peace: we hope that it can descend on the people of Israel as well as on the people of Palestine and on the whole of the Middle East, so that our children can live and grow up in a serene world.”
As tradition has it, the Palestinian delegation left after the exchange of the sign of peace and the Mass continued, ending only with the procession of the priests to the Grotto.
However, the Christmas festivities are not over here. For the whole night and throughout Christmas Day until 4.30 p.m., there was one Mass after the other in the Basilica of the Nativity. To ensure this service, the Franciscan sacristans were organized into teams for the day and the night, reinforced by the students of St. Saviour. About forty Masses will be held in the grottos and in the chapels of St. Catherine in 24 hours, without counting all those celebrated in the Shepherds’ Field.
The day Mass of the parish was celebrated completely in Arabic and presided by the new Patriarch. Brother Marwan Di’des thanked him for his presence and, like a real father, for having been able to bring his children from all over the country, from north and south, including Gaza.
The Christmas carols continue to echo around the Basilica of the Nativity but the journalists have already left the square. But in Bethlehem, Christmas will not be over until all the Christian confessions have celebrated their Nativity and this will be on 19th January, with our Armenian brothers.
On this symbolic date of 25th December, the Custody wishes a Happy Christmas to all.
Mab